Redknapp in talks over taking Cole on loan with a view to buy… if QPR stay up

|

UPDATED:

22:45 GMT, 30 December 2012

Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp is closing in on a reunion with Joe Cole.

Sportsmail revealed the Loftus Road club’s interest in Cole on November 30 and Rangers have now opened talks with Liverpool — who beat them 3-0 — over a January switch for the midfielder, 31, who was given his professional debut by Redknapp at West Ham in 1998.

London-bound: Joe Cole has started talks with QPR about a loan move in January

Redknapp is hoping to seal a loan deal ahead of a permanent move if Rangers avoid relegation.

But if Cole and Liverpool agree a severance package for the 18 months left on his 90,000-per-week deal, he could join permanently next month.

Ambitious London Welsh sign up Tonga'uiha and Bateman on long-term deals

|

UPDATED:

14:51 GMT, 27 December 2012

London Welsh duo Hudson Tonga'uiha and Greg Bateman have signed new deals with the Aviva Premiership club.

Centre Tonga'uiha, who has 24 caps for Tonga and made nine Premiership appearances for the Exiles in their debut season in the top flight, joined prop Bateman in extending his contract with the Oxford-based side.

Welsh head coach Lyn Jones told the club's official website: 'I'm absolutely delighted that Hudson and Greg have committed themselves to London Welsh.

Long-term aspirations: London Welsh want to secure their Premiership future

'Hudson has really stepped up to the mark this year and has thrived in the Aviva Premiership. Greg has grasped his opportunity with both hands and is evolving into a decent Premiership player with the potential to go further.

'These two re-signings signify the ambitions and long term objectives of London Welsh RFC.'

Bateman said: 'I've improved a lot in my time here and I'm looking forward to what I can achieve in the future.

'Lyn's worked a lot with me on areas of my game where I can improve and I take that very seriously. I want to push to be involved in the first XV more and more.'

Ferguson backs Evans to lead United for next decade after defender pens new deal

|

UPDATED:

13:09 GMT, 21 December 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson expects Jonny Evans to be a mainstay in the Manchester United defence for the next 10 years after the centre back signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the Old Trafford club.

The 24-year-old Northern Ireland international made his United debut as a teenager in the League Cup against Coventry in September 2007 and has now committed to the club until June 2016.

And Ferguson hopes he will remain with the club for the rest of his career.

Done deal: Jonny Evans (right) has signed a new contract at Old Trafford

'Jonny Evans has signed a new contract. We’re very happy
about that and it’s in keeping with our normal policy that when the younger
players get to the second last year of their contract we have to do something
about it,' Ferguson said.

'He’s had a fantastic career for us, progressing all the
time. He’s had one or two injury situations that are hopefully behind him now.
He’s fit for Sunday’s game [against Swansea].

'He fought his way in with his performances last year and when him and Rio played consistently our results improved. We spoke about losing the goals against Manchester City and the leaking of goals at that particular time and those two playing regularly and improved that.

Main man: Evans has grown into his defensive role at Manchester United

'Jonny has been
with us since he was a kid. When he was 12 he was at our school of
excellence in Belfast and he always had a talent. When he was younger I
wasn’t sure if he’d be a midfielder or a centre-back because he was a
really good footballer.

'He’s
played over 140 games now and he is established but he’s still young. A
centre-back at 24, he should play for the next 10 years and hopefully
it’s at United.'

Evans added: 'I'm delighted to sign my new contract. I am so proud to play for such a great club, and there's no better feeling than playing football in this team and winning games.'

He added: 'I would love to play here throughout the rest of my career.'

Joe Root admitted his selection for a
Test debut in one of England's most important games of the year had come
as a surprise after he held India at bay for almost five hours at
Nagpur.

Root, who turns 22 this month, was
only told by captain Alastair Cook that he had replaced Samit Patel at
No 6 – as well as leapfrogged both Jonny Bairstow and Eoin Morgan – the
day before the game.

Relaxed: England's Joe Root (file image)

'It was a little bit of a surprise,' he admitted after making 73 to help England reach 330 in their first innings. 'But I got myself into a good frame of mind once I found out and tried to get my head round it as quickly as I could.'

His selection completed a remarkable rise to prominence for the Sheffield-born batsman, who in his debut season of 2009 was presented with his chestguard – part of a Yorkshire dressing-room tradition – by former England captain Michael Vaughan, who played alongside Root's father Matt at Sheffield Collegiate CC .

Root added: 'I was delighted to get the opportunity, and to score a few runs at the same time was a real good feeling. It would be wrong to say there are no nerves when you're waiting to bat in Test cricket for the first time, but I've got a great team around me who were very encouraging and helpful.

'Once I got in the middle I was quite relaxed.'

Timely response: The 289-minute innings by Joe Root was the eighth longest on debut by an England Test batsman

Asked what advice he had been given as he walked out to bat with England struggling at 119 for four – soon to become 139 for five – Root replied: 'More than anything, it was just to keep your foot movements very precise and very quick and just grind it out. The guys who had gone in before said it was tough out there and it was quite a defensive field, so it wasn't fast scoring. It was about getting your bearings and being patient. You just try to adapt to the conditions and the situation.'

Was he disappointed to miss out on a debut hundred

'Thinking about it now, that's what you dream of as a kid going through your career. It just makes you more determined if you get another opportunity to make the most of it.'